On Friday, March 24, the Ravenscroft Alumni Association held its first in-person meeting since 2019, joyfully coming together in the Keim Center for Innovation and Research for a luncheon and to celebrate Kevin Anderson ’82 as he was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest award presented by the Ravenscroft Alumni Association.

Head of School Doreen Kelly started the meeting with a welcome and brief remarks. Following lunch, Kelly introduced Shawn Morrison ’94, who shared some highlights of the Alumni Strategic Design that was developed last year to identify goals and practices for alumni engagement over the next five years.

Anderson was introduced by friend and fellow Distinguished Alumni Award winner Vic Bell ’74, who joked that he wasn’t sure if he had been asked to “toast” Kevin or “roast” him. “I believe they said ‘roast,’” he said. “We might do some of both today!” He went on to share a story about his first encounter with a young Kevin Anderson, way back in the 1973-74 school year:

When I was a senior at Ravenscroft, someone suggested that tutoring in the Lower School looks good on your college application. So I volunteered to tutor the fourth-grade classes in math once a week. On my first visit to tutor four boys in the fourth grade, there was Kevin. It was fun to tutor these guys in math — they were easy! Then came tutoring the fourth-grade girls. They were smart — they challenged me! I had to study before tutoring them in math.

Obviously, I like to take credit for Kevin’s success in life and especially his strength with math and finance!

Bell then shared many of the outstanding contributions Anderson has made over the years, both professionally and as a dedicated volunteer for Ravenscroft and other organizations in the community. 

Anderson earned a B.S. in accounting from Washington and Lee University and has worked for nearly 30 years in the field of investment management and financial planning. He has attained the Certified Financial Planner (no longer active) and Chartered Financial Analyst designations. As a proponent for the integrity of portfolio management, he is a past board member and president of the Portfolio Management Institute and recently attained the Certified Portfolio Manager designation. 

A native of Raleigh, Anderson is dedicated to his community and has been involved with several organizations, including Hayes Barton United Methodist Church, YMCA of the Triangle Investment Committee, Washington and Lee University alumni groups, and William Peace University Board of Visitors and Board of Trustees.

Anderson served on Ravenscroft’s Board of Trustees for a total of six years, providing guidance and oversight on a range of committees (Educational Stewardship, Investment, Audit, Finance and Executive) before becoming board chair in 2017. He was in the final year of his term when the COVID-19 pandemic hit  in early 2020, and his leadership proved essential as the school navigated the logistical, financial and educational challenges it presented.

Supporting Ravenscroft is a family commitment for the Andersons. Kevin’s father, Chip ’55, attended the Tucker Street primary school, and he and his late wife, Judy, in 2014 established the Anderson Family Scholarship for the children and grandchildren of alumni. Chip’s late sister, Charlotte Straney ’64, also attended Ravenscroft.

Kevin Anderson and his wife, Perri, are proud parents of Ravens alumni: Tyler Anderson Spencer ’11 and Garrett Anderson ’14.

Bell emphasized the many places Kevin Anderson’s leadership is reflected today, particularly in the visionary project that became the Olander Center for Student Life at the A.E. Finley Activity Center. “We are excited to honor Kevin today with the Ravenscroft Distinguished Alumni Award — a well-deserved honor,” he concluded.

Bell was not the only person celebrating Anderson’s recognition. Chip Anderson said, “I am proud of Kevin and admire his capacity to serve many organizations concurrently. I believe Ravenscroft and family virtues have instilled his desire to share — to the best of his ability — thoughtful advice and observations. I believe he will continue to demonstrate these talents in the years to come.”

Anderson said he was deeply touched by the recognition.

“Receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award was quite humbling and an honor I treasure deeply,” he said. “It gave me a wonderful opportunity reflect on the impact the Ravenscroft community over the arc of my life. Beginning when I stepped on campus for my first-grade class in a trailer in 1970 to returning in 1998 holding my daughter’s hand as she embarked on hers, followed by my son’s ‘lifer' experience as part of that same community. No other institution has had the same impact on my life, and I beam with pride watching the school continue to evolve and build on its legacy of excellence!”